India’s e-commerce and gig economy runs on the strength of millions of blue-collar workers — delivery partners, warehouse associates, logistics handlers, customer support staff, and gig service providers. While this distributed workforce powers convenience for millions, it also faces unique workplace vulnerabilities — especially around sexual harassment and safety.
Recent incidents and court discussions have underlined that platforms and aggregators can be held accountable for harassment occurring in their ecosystems, even if the workers are not formal employees. With the gig economy expanding and more women joining these roles, robust implementation of PoSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) training has become both a moral and regulatory imperative.
This post explores how to design and implement effective PoSH training for blue-collar and gig workers with practical methods, case examples, and the growing role of microlearning videos in making training accessible, engaging, and actionable.
1. Start from reality: map risks and context
Before building any training, map out where harassment risks actually occur not in boardrooms, but at customer locations, warehouses, late-night shifts, and delivery routes.
Document real-life cases such as harassment reports involving delivery staff or warehouse colleagues to highlight authentic workplace risks.
Real-World Incident Case Studies
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In a recent case, a food app delivery agent allegedly sexually harassed a 21-year-old Brazilian model at her home during a food delivery in October 2025; he was arrested soon after. www.ndtv.com+1
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In another incident, a Mumbai woman posted a video accusing a grocery delivery agent of touching her chest while handing over a parcel. The incident raised safety concerns and triggered a response from police and company. www.ndtv.com
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In another reported incident a man alleged that a rider made a sexually explicit remark while picking up a package in early 2025; the rider was black-listed and customer-care staff retrained.
These cases underscore the importance of PoSH training and help to make it relatable and emphasize why safety isn’t theoretical.
2. Make learning mobile, multilingual, and micro
Blue-collar and gig workers often work unpredictable hours, rely on smartphones, and may have limited literacy levels.
Instead of hour-long training videos or policy PDFs, design mobile-friendly microlearning modules — short, localized, and role-specific.
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Length: 5–7 minute interactive videos
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Format: Audio narration, subtitles, voiceovers in local languages
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Content style: Visual, scenario-driven, and emotionally resonant
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Accessibility: Offline viewing, minimal data consumption
This format allows delivery workers to learn between trips, warehouse teams to view during breaks, and gig partners to complete training at their convenience.
3. Microlearning Videos: The Game-Changer in PoSH Implementation
Traditional classroom sessions or long policy lectures rarely reach frontline workers but microlearning videos can.
Why Microlearning Works
Microlearning videos breaks complex PoSH principles into digestible, action-oriented snippets that focus on what to do, not just what to know.
For example:
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“How to Respond if a Customer Behaves Inappropriately”
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“How to File a Complaint Through the App”
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“What Happens After You Report an Incident”
Each short clip demonstrates a realistic situation, shows the right response, and reinforces reporting mechanisms.
How to Deliver It
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Push one micro-video per week via the worker’s delivery or attendance app.
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Pair each video with a one-question quiz or quick action (e.g., identifying correct behavior).
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Add reminders or badges to encourage engagement.
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Auto-track completion for compliance reporting.
Benefits
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Accessibility: Works even for workers with limited reading skills.
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Retention: Bite-sized repetition ensures long-term behavioural change.
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Scalability: Easy to update when laws or policies change.
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Reinforcement: Managers can replay short clips during briefings or town halls.
By turning PoSH into an ongoing learning journey instead of a one-time event, microlearning ensures that awareness stays fresh not forgotten.
4. Role-based, scenario-driven content
Every role faces different realities.
Create scenario-driven e-learning modules that depict workplace-specific situations:
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For Delivery Partners: A customer’s inappropriate remark at the doorstep — what’s acceptable, what’s not, and how to report.
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For Warehouse Workers: Handling misconduct between colleagues or supervisors.
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For Gig Sellers: Navigating unprofessional messages from buyers on digital platforms.
The more contextual the learning, the higher the impact.
5. Integrate reporting into everyday tools
Awareness is ineffective if reporting is cumbersome. Integrate PoSH complaint options directly into the worker app or dashboard.
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One-tap complaint button linked to employee ID/order number.
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Secure voice note or chat feature for quick reporting.
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Real-time escalation to internal safety teams.
Immediate, app-based accessibility ensures that workers can act in the moment, without fear or delay.
6. Strengthen redressal mechanisms
For gig ecosystems, Internal Committees (ICs) need to evolve.
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Build remote ICs accessible through phone, WhatsApp, or email.
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Allow assisted complaint filing via supervisors or NGO partners.
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Share timelines transparently and maintain confidentiality.
Every complaint must be treated with urgency, empathy, and procedural fairness — especially when workers fear losing income during investigations.
7. Empower supervisors and vendor partners
Supervisors, delivery leads, and vendor partners are the bridge between policy and people.
Train them to:
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Recognize red flags early.
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Support complainants without bias.
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Initiate immediate safety measures.
Include PoSH obligations in vendor agreements and partner onboarding.
Platforms are still liable for harassment incidents even when workers are indirectly employed through vendors.
8. Create offline touchpoints and peer champions
Digital training alone isn’t enough. Combine it with periodic physical engagement:
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Weekly huddles: Discuss short safety stories.
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Peer Champions: Select trained workers as first-line advisors.
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Depot posters and helpline cards: Reinforce the reporting process.
This hybrid approach helps normalize conversations around workplace safety.
9. Measure learning and behavioural outcomes
Evaluate the training not just by completion rates but by real safety metrics:
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Number of reports received.
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Time taken to acknowledge and resolve cases.
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Employee perception of fairness.
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Reduction in repeat incidents.
Link these data points with learning analytics from microlearning modules to track whether awareness translates into behavior change.
PoSH training for blue-collar and gig workers isn’t a tick-box; it’s a foundation for workplace safety, trust, and brand integrity.
By combining microlearning videos, multilingual modules, seamless reporting channels, and strong redressal systems — e-commerce platforms can create an environment where every worker, regardless of role or literacy, understands their rights and knows the organization will respond.
